CYOA Page 16
Sep. 15th, 2013 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lumy12"If you want to come with us to the hospital, you can," you tell Zack.
"Really? Awesome! Thanks! ...Thank you," he adds, looking at Joel. Like the 'thanks' wasn't enough?
"You got any stuff... sittin' somewhere?" asks Joel.
"Nope, everything's in my backpack."
While the kid dons his very-light-looking backpack, Joel checks to make sure all the saddlebags are secure. "You can ride with me," he says to Zack.
"What? He should ride with me!" you protest. "The two of us add up to one of you. It's only fair... load-wise."
"But..." Joel seems to be searching for a good comeback to that. "He, uh... well, I'm the more experienced rider."
...Really, Joel? "So?!"
"So, if we run into... trouble, or... somethin' unexpected... it would be better if... if we, uh..."
You roll your eyes. "Zack, who would you rather ride with?"
Zack looks uncomfortable. "Um... I don't care?"
"Dude, if you're just saying that so you don't make him mad, don't worry. I told you, he's actually nice, even if he doesn't act like it. And he has no good reason for you to ride with him. You'd rather ride with me, wouldn't you? ...wouldn't you?"
"Yeah," Zack mumbles.
Joel chuckles. "Talk about leadin' the witness. All right, fine. Go on."
You have no idea what that witness comment means; Joel sometimes says weird things that make no sense. You don't feel like asking him to explain, though. You smirk at him a little as you mount your horse. Why the fuck does he want Zack to ride with him, anyway?
"I can ride by myself -- I know how," says Zack. "If you'd rather ride together..."
"No," you and Joel both say at the same time. Nothing against riding together -- you'd welcome any excuse to put your arms around the man, and you're sure Joel doesn't mind it one bit -- but you don't know the kid's skill level. And besides, if he just decides to take off...
Zack just sort of shrugs and takes the hand you offer him to swing into position behind you.
Joel watches him from atop his own horse, his expression unreadable... even to you. "Just hold on to the straps of her backpack," he advises the kid... bizarrely.
... ...Oh my God -- he's jealous! He's jealous of Zack touching me! A fucking TEN-YEAR-OLD KID! Somehow you manage to not burst out laughing. "Joel, are you serious right now?"
Instead of answering, Joel clucks to the horse and trots away.
You turn your head enough to glance at Zack sideways. "Just hold on wherever it feels comfortable."
Zack keeps his hands on your backpack.
* * * * * *
That night, the sun is well into its setting routine when you find a little cluster of buildings along the highway. And you know from experience that this means there are probably houses around, too, if you look for them. Houses are more comfortable to sleep in than anywhere else. If you can't have a house, you don't mind a restaurant with booths -- booths with nice padded seats... although Joel would rather sleep on the floor than sleep in one of those (he's very strange in some ways).
However, you do find a suitable house pretty quickly. Not as good as last night's, because there's no well, but it's kind of tucked behind some tall pines on a little hill, mostly hidden from view of the highway. You've come to appreciate Joel's desire for privacy... not just for safety, either, you think, snickering to yourself. And you know he likes being high enough to have a good view of the surrounding area. -As much as the trees will allow, anyway! Joel asks you to wait with Zack while he checks each room for inhabitants... but you can tell he doesn't expect to find any. He just has to do it anyway. Because he's Joel: his sixth sense for detecting people that's like... 99% accurate... isn't good enough for him.
When he's satisfied that it's safe, he calls for you to walk the horses around back. The backyard isn't secure enough to let the horses wander around, so you picket them while Joel and Zack unload the bags. "So..." Zack begins tentatively. "Can I ask what's for dinner?"
You look at Joel and try to sound serious. "I dunno, Joel... do you think we should give him some of our dinner? He already had a meal today. Which is prob'ly more than he had yesterday."
"That's true," Joel replies, equally serious. "If you haven't been eatin' much, it ain't good to bombard your system with food all at once."
That sounds like bullshit to you, but Zack looks... kind of worried -- haha! "Yeah, plus we don't have tons of food. It might seem like tons to you, but we have to ration it out over our whole trip there and the whole trip back."
Zack nods and swallows... and you wonder if he's trying not to cry. Awww! You know what it's like to be so hungry that you're already thinking about your next meal when you've just finished your current one. Maybe your little joke is too cruel...
Joel tosses one of the lighter bags -- the one with the towels and stuff -- to you, and you all head for the house. "So, Ellie, what should we have for dinner?"
"Hmm... we still have some jerky left... oh, no, I know! Tommy's stew!" You turn to Zack. "It's sooo good. Have you ever had it? It's got beef and carrots and potatoes... onions... some mystery ingredient he won't tell us..."
Joel notes Zack's misery, arches an eyebrow at you (but says nothing), and for some reason, that's what finally makes you crack up. "Dude! Of course you can have some!" you manage to say between giggles. "Do you really think we'd sit here and eat in front of you and not give you any? We're not that mean."
Zack laughs uneasily. "Oh, yeah... I figured, um..."
You muss his hair and give him a little shove through the door Joel is holding open for you. "Just dump that stuff over there. So Joel -- we have enough of that stew, don't we?"
"We do... but I know you don't wanna eat it cold, so we'd have to light a fire. You wanna do that?"
Oh, right... Joel likes a good campfire to cook over as much as the next person, but it's nearly dark now, and the flickering light could attract attention if anyone's in the area. In the day time, it's the smoke... at night, it's more about the light... but at night, it's also harder to see people.
You are pretty isolated here, though...
If you decide to cook the stew, turn to page 32.
If you opt for something cold instead, turn to page 35.
Carlos
Date: 2021-01-14 06:16 am (UTC)RE: Carlos
Date: 2021-01-14 01:42 pm (UTC)